Capture vs OpenClinica: open-source heritage or hosted self-serve
Many research teams first met EDC through OpenClinica's open-source edition. Capture is a hosted platform: no servers to run, AI drafting from the protocol, and EDC, ePRO, eConsent and randomization in one study.
- Free sandbox, no sales call
- EDC, ePRO, eConsent, randomization
- Part 11-aligned controls
Free sandbox · No credit card · 21 CFR Part 11 aligned
Tests
5
Hands-on
4
To confirm
1
- Rebuild one of your real formsSame test, both systems
- Break an edit check and follow the querySame test, both systems
- Complete a questionnaire on a phoneSame test, both systems
- Sign a test eConsentSame test, both systems
- Compare total cost for your studyAsk both vendors
Capture vs OpenClinica: the short version
- OpenClinica offers a cloud EDC and ePRO platform and, historically, an open-source community edition that many academic groups used.
- Teams on older self-hosted editions often compare options when servers, upgrades and validation become a burden.
- A hosted platform moves hosting, security patching and upgrades to the vendor; validation for your intended use remains shared.
- Capture offers a free sandbox with every feature and AI drafting from the protocol.
- Compare the total effort of running each option, not just the licence.
0
sales calls needed to start building
1
audit trail across EDC, ePRO, eConsent and randomization
Free
sandbox with every feature, no time limit
EU + US
hosting in Frankfurt or N. Virginia
The comparison
Self-hosted, cloud, or self-serve
OpenClinica's open-source roots mean many institutions have run it themselves, sometimes for years. Self-hosting gives control but carries servers, backups, security patching, upgrades and validation. Community forks such as LibreClinica continue that model. OpenClinica's cloud offering and Capture both move the infrastructure to the vendor.
When comparing, count the whole cost of ownership: hosting, IT time, validation after upgrades and support, as well as licences. See open source EDC software for the trade-offs in detail.
What to compare
What to test when comparing Capture and OpenClinica
| Criterion | Why it matters | Capture |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting and upgrades | IT effort and security | Hosted in the EU or US; upgrades and security handled by Capture |
| Study build | Time from protocol to testable study | AI drafts visits and forms from the protocol; your team reviews and approves |
| Modules in one study | Reconciliation and vendor count | EDC, ePRO, eConsent, randomization and kits with one audit trail |
| Data cleaning | Clean data at entry | Range and custom-value edit checks raise auto-queries; one query list |
| Exports | Analysis and future moves | CSV and Excel with a data dictionary, raw and decoded |
| Commercial model | Fit for your study size | Free sandbox; no setup fee; pay only when you go live |
This table shows Capture's answers only. Ask OpenClinica for theirs, and confirm current capabilities and terms directly with them.
Self-serve build
Your team builds and amends, with AI doing the drafting
The AI form builder drafts questions or lab tables from a description or an uploaded file, and the AI Study Generator drafts the schedule from your protocol. Nothing is saved without human review. Forms move from draft to approved and are locked for live use, so amendments are deliberate and recorded.
- Ten question types plus repeating table sections.
- Calculated fields such as BMI, BSA, eGFR and QTc.
- Configuration export and import between studies.
Question form
CRF or ePRO
Lab table
Analytes, units, ranges
- Number
1. Systolic blood pressure
Required · Number · mmHg · 0 dp
- Number
2. Diastolic blood pressure
Required · Number · mmHg · 0 dp
- Number
3. Pulse rate
Required · Number · beats/min
- Number
4. Body temperature
Required · Number · °C · 1 dp
- Single choice
5. Position during measurement
Required · Sitting, Supine, Standing
- + 9 more questions
One platform
EDC, ePRO, eConsent and randomization in one study
Sites enter data on locked, approved forms with edit checks that raise queries at entry. Participants complete questionnaires on their own phones and sign eConsent with verified signatures. Randomization and kit management run in the same study, and everything shares one field-level audit trail.
- One participant record across every module.
- No integrations to build or reconcile.
- Phase 1 through Phase 3.
Build the same form in Capture
Free sandbox with every feature. No credit card.
Fit
When OpenClinica fits, and when Capture does
OpenClinica is often a good fit for organisations with existing OpenClinica studies and expertise, or those that specifically want an open-source codebase they can run and modify themselves.
Capture fits teams that want no infrastructure to run, a quick AI-drafted build, and EDC, ePRO, eConsent and randomization in one hosted study.
Compliance controls
The controls inspectors look for, built in
Every change is written to an append-only, hash-chained audit trail with user, time, old and new value and reason. Electronic signatures require password re-authentication and carry a meaning statement. Roles separate sites, and identifying data is segregated from study data at the database layer.
- Field-level audit trail, never hard deleted.
- Re-authenticated e-signatures.
- Role-based access with site separation.
Weight changed 68.0 to 68.5 kg
Site coordinator · Reason: Transcription error
Query Q-0014 answered on Weight
Site coordinator · Reason: Source checked
Vital signs form locked
Data manager · Reason: Visit cleaned
Switching
Moving from OpenClinica to Capture
Keep running studies where they are and start new ones in Capture. Export CRF definitions and upload them for the AI to draft forms. For self-hosted systems, plan archiving of completed studies with their audit trails before decommissioning servers.
Historical data stays in its original export and is combined at analysis if needed. See how to switch EDC vendors mid-study for when a mid-study move makes sense.
Evaluation
How to compare EDC vendors side by side
Same form in both systems
Build one real form with edit checks.
Site workflow
Enter data, raise and answer a query.
Participant workflow
Consent and a questionnaire on a phone.
Monitoring
Set SDV and review what a monitor sees.
Exports
Data dictionary, codes and labels.
Total cost
Setup, per-site and per-participant fees.
All comparisons
Compare Capture with other platforms
Every comparison uses the same approach: what to test, where each option fits, and Capture's own answers. See all of them on the comparisons hub at /compare.
Is Capture open source?
No. Capture is a hosted platform with a free sandbox; you pay when you go live.
Is Capture an OpenClinica alternative?
Yes, for teams that want a hosted, self-serve platform with EDC, ePRO, eConsent and randomization.
What is LibreClinica?
A community-maintained open-source fork of an earlier OpenClinica version.
Can I test Capture before deciding against OpenClinica?
Yes. The free sandbox includes every feature with sample data, no credit card and no time limit. You pay only when you go live.
How did you build this comparison?
From public positioning and the criteria teams tell us matter. We state only Capture's own capabilities as fact; confirm OpenClinica's current offering with them.
Keep exploring
Related pages
OpenClinica alternatives
A broader alternatives guide.
Open source EDC software
Open source trade-offs.
Capture vs Castor
EDC, eCOA and eConsent from the Netherlands.
Capture vs Viedoc
EDC with patient modules, from Sweden.
Capture vs Medrio
EDC and eCOA for early-phase and mid-sized studies.
Capture vs Clinion
eClinical platform including EDC.
Compare Capture against your shortlist
Free sandbox with every feature. No sales call.